Bulletproofing is the process of making something capable of stopping a bullet or similar high velocity projectiles e.g. shrapnel. The term bullet resistance is often preferred because few, if any, practical materials provide complete protection against all types of bullets, or multiple hits in the same location. Bullet designs vary widely, not only according to the particular firearm used (e.g. a 9×19 mm Parabellum caliber hollowpoint handgun cartridge will have inferior penetration power compared to a 7.62×39 mm assault rifle cartridge), but also within individual cartridge designs. As a result, whilst so-called “bullet-proof” panels may successfully prevent penetration by standard 7.62×39 mm bullets containing lead cores, the same panels may easily be defeated by 7.62×39 mm armor piercing bullets containing hardened steel penetrators.
Bullet-resistant materials, also called ballistic materials or, equivalently, anti-ballistic materials, are usually rigid, but may be supple. They may be complex, such as KEVLAR®, LEXAN®, and carbon fiber composite materials, or they may be basic and simple, such as steel or titanium. Bullet resistant materials are often used in law enforcement and military applications, to protect personnel from death or serious injuries.
There is a growing need for methods of self protection in an increasingly wide variety of locations. In the modern world, crimes and attacks committed by persons with guns are an ever more common occurrence. In the past, police personnel and military personnel have been the primary targets of gunfire which has been directed toward them during work or duty. Because of this continual risk of harm, bullet resistant vests and shields have been developed which may be deployed or worn on the user's body as a protective component of their work attire. Such devices, when employed for protection against weapons fire have worked fairly well in preventing a high velocity bullet or shell from penetrating the wearer's body since the velocity is slowed considerably.
It has been made clearly evident by the shooting at Fort Hood that additional means of self protection has become very necessary. The mass shooting took place on Nov. 5, 2009, at Fort Hood, the most populous U.S. military installation in the world, located just outside Killeen, Tex. In the course of the shooting, a single gunman killed 13 people and wounded 29 others. According to witnesses, Army reserve Captain John Gaffaney attempted to stop Hasan, either by charging him or throwing a chair at him, but was mortally wounded in the process. Civilian physician assistant Michael Cahill also tried to charge Hasan with a chair before being shot and killed. Army reserve Specialist Logan Burnette tried to stop Hasan by throwing a folding table at him, but he was shot in the left hip, fell down, and crawled to a nearby cubicle.
It was additionally made evident at Columbine High School in Colorado in 1999 that similar occurrences may again occur at other locations where civilians, including children are affected and there is an increased need for self protection. With the introduction of a ballistic-proof chair, such a device can blend into a conventional room's appearance where people gather such as meeting rooms, classrooms, libraries or cafeterias and it can thereby keep from making a room where people gather for social or educational purposes appear like a military bunker.
With the advent of new materials and the improvement of manufacturing processes, items like ballistic-proof chairs can become a practical item. It is well known that the construction of bullet-proof vests is done by applying multiple layers of fabric woven from an aramid fiber together, which is sold by Du Pont under the Trade Mark KEVLAR, and has been done for many years. It can be used in a flexible state or laminated in a more rigid configuration. The success of the product is attained by multiple layers of the semi-impregnable flexible structure. This material combines high penetration resistance with lightness and flexibility but until presently no one has endeavored to manufacture items like chairs of this material.
With respect to the above, before explaining at least one preferred embodiment of the Anti-ballistic Chairs herein in detail or in general, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangement of the components or the steps set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The various apparatus and methods of the protective invention herein are capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways, all of which will be obvious to those skilled in the art once the information herein is reviewed. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description, and should not be regarded as limiting in any fashion. As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception upon which this disclosure is based may readily be utilized as a basis for designing other furniture type ballistic shields for carrying out the several purposes of the present disclosed device and method. It is important, therefore, that the embodiments, objects and claims herein, be regarded as including such equivalent construction and methodology insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.